The design, construction, and preliminary testing of a second generation proton CT scanner is presented. All current treatment planning systems at proton therapy centers use X-ray CT as the primary imaging modality for treatment planning to calculate
doses to tumor and healthy tissues. One of the limitations of X-ray CT is in the conversion of X-ray attenuation coefficients to relative (proton) stopping powers, or RSP. This results in more proton range uncertainty, larger target volumes and therefore, more dose to healthy tissues. To help improve this, we present a novel scanner capable of high dose rates, up to 2~MHz, and large area coverage, 20~x~24~cm$^2$, for imaging an adult head phantom and reconstructing more accurate RSP values.
We describe the development of a proton Computed Tomography (pCT) scanner at Northern Illinois University (NIU) in collaboration with Fermilab and Delhi University. This paper provides an overview of major components of the scanner and a detailed description of the data acquisition system (DAQ).
We report on D0 searches for leptoquarks (LQ) predicted in extended gauge theories and composite models to explain the symmetry between quarks and leptons. Data samples obtained with the D0 detector from proton-antiproton collisions at a center-of-ma
ss energy of 1.96 TeV corresponding to intergrated luminosities of 1--4 inverse-fb were analyzed. No evidence for the production of such particles were observed and lower limits on leptoquark masses are set.
We report on a search for charge-1/3 third-generation leptoquarks (LQ) produced in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV using the D0 detector at Fermilab. Third generation leptoquarks are assumed to be produced in pairs and to decay to a tau neutrino
and a b quark with branching fraction B. We place upper limits on sigma(ppbar->LQLQbar)*B^2 as a function of the leptoquark mass M_{LQ}. Assuming B=1, we exclude at the 95% confidence level third-generation scalar leptoquarks with M_{LQ} < 229 GeV.
